Food – Page 13 – European Traveler

Take a Ride on the Cheese Train

Photos courtesy Lake Geneva Office of Tourism, Switzerland

The GoldenPass Cheese Train in Switzerland will take you from Montreux to Château-d’Oex every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. through April 27, where you can discover the specialities of the Pays-d’Enhaut region.

CHEESEMAKING DEMONSTRATION

Le Chalet is a typical mountain chalet, serving fondue and dessert.

MUSÉE DU VIEUX PAYS-D’ENHAUT (SILHOUETTE MUSUEM)
This museum of folk art was established in 1922 and gives an insight into the lives of the Swiss forefathers. The museum is well-known in particular for its collection of over 60 well-preserved scissor-cut silhouettes.

The art of paper cutting produces images that look like lace. They are carefully cut with scissors or cutters and are traditionally produced in one piece, in black and white. A paper cutting may also have different shades of color or formats, and sometimes it looks like a collage of colored papers.

Also in the Folk Art Museum there is painted wooden furniture, sculptures, statues, military paraphernalia, cow bells and skis, all from the XIV century. These objects are displayed throughout 15 individual rooms. The museum has also recreated rooms which depict the life of blacksmiths, alpine cheese-makers, country kitchens and a bread oven which dates back to 1665.

For more info, go to GoldenPass Cheese Train

Flanders is a Festival

Flanders is a bucket-list destination for music lovers—big bands, unique scenes and tons of genres. With more than 280 festivals each year, there’s plenty to choose from.

Every summer millions of people gather in Flanders—a region full of history. You can enjoy live music in cities such as Antwerp, Ghent, Brugg and Boom as well as historical sites, exquisite food and shopping possibilities.

JAZZ MIDDELHEIM

Jazz Middelheim, founded in the late 1960s, has become an iconic jazz festival. The festival grounds in Antwerp are within walking distance of the famous sculpture park. The green surroundings of the Park den Brandt with a high quality infrastructure, including a playground for children and gourmet catering, attract not only a vast jazz crowd but also families with children who love to linger in the park and enjoy the live music.

GHENT FESTIVALS
After more than 160 years of existence, the Ghent Festivities have become one of the best festivals in Europe. Four international festivals take place there over a period of 10 days, with free music on 10 squares, children’s entertainment at various different locations in the city and hundreds of indoor and outdoor activities.

MAFESTIVAL
One of the oldest classical music festivals with an international reputation takes place in Brugge. Daily concerts, competitions, workshops and lectures focus on the historical performance.

TOMORROWLAND
Yesterday is History, Today is a Gift, Tomorrow is Mystery. What started out in 2005 as a one-day festival has grown into a three-day festival. Two weekends are being organized for the 10th anniversary of Tomorrowland in Boom. Tomorrowland is one of the largest festivals with 360,000 attendees. Tickets sell out in one day for this popular festival.

For more info, go to www.visitflanders.us

Frankfurt’s Liquid Gold

Photos Courtesy Frankfurt Tourist & Congress Board

Locals and tourists alike enjoy this beverage in rustic apple wine pubs all over the city. The “core” apple wine scene is in Old Sachsenhausen; numerous apple wine pubs line its streets where they serve customers their infamous “liquid gold.”

In the Middle Ages, beer and wine were the beverages of choice. As with many products today, apple wine came into being because of an unavoidable circumstance rather than an idea for a new product. In the middle of the 16th century, the Rhine-Main area went through a climatic change that negatively influenced wine production. Because of this, many vineyards transformed into fruit orchards, thus beginning apple wine production. During the Goethe era, taverns made the switch and became apple wine pubs. Today, apple wine remains a staple in Frankfurt and is growing in popularity.

It’s easy to spot a local apple wine pub: just look for the wreath hanging above the door. There’s even an old saying, “A wreath on the door means apple wine and more.” Traditionally, apple wine is served in a blue-gray stoneware jug called a Bembel. Other necessary glassware for apple wine drinking includes a ribbed glass called a Gerippte.

For an unforgettable Frankfurt experience, take a tour of old town in the “Apple Wine Express.” The Apple Wine Express is the city’s most popular streetcar and takes guests on a sightseeing tour around the city. For one hour, visitors can munch on pretzels, listen to music and sip apple wine while experiencing the city in a new way.

For more info, go to: www.frankfurt-tourismus.de

Get Your Swiss Christmas Fix

Photos courtesy Switzerland Tourism

Christmas is around the corner. In Switzerland, Christmas markets and events are as much a part of the holiday tradition as chocolates, cookie baking and family gatherings. Here is a sampling of festivities that vary in scope from the month-long markets in St. Gallen to weekend events in villages like Bad Ragaz, yet all share the basics: Christmas ornaments, gifts, local specialties, plenty of traditional Swiss atmosphere and snow.

Handmade products of Switzerland and local
treats bring visitors from around the globe.

Swiss Christmas Markets combine holiday festivities and historic locations.

For more info http://www.myswitzerland.com/en

Daruvar is Croatia’s Famous Crane Town

Photos courtesy Croatian National Tourist Board

Daruvar in Hungarian means Crane town (daru=crane, var=town).

HISTORY
On February 28, 1765 Maria Theresa, Queen of Habsburg dominions, granted Count Jankovich the title “de Daruvar” because of the crane in his family’s coat of arms. When Antun Jankovich built the Daruvar Castle between 1771 and 1777 the town was forever known as Daruvar (in Hungarian “Daruvar” means Crane town or Crane’s castle).

The crane’s pose on the coat of arms, turned to the right side with its leg raised, represents constant alert on the watch. Since Antun Jankovich was the founder of the town, the symbol on the town’s coat of arms is also a crane.

MOST DECORATED SMALL TOWN OF CONTINENTAL CROATIA The combination of greenery and urban architecture, cultural diversity and fertile vineyards, entices travelers to visit Daruvar.

Famous as a spa town with the tradition of health tourism for more than 2,000 years, the town boasts an enriched combination of greenery, new and historic buildings and a rich selection of touristic and recreational facilities.

WINE ROAD
The Daruvar Wine Road and recreational areas which are located within the newly-opened thermal water park “Aquae Balissae” make the town an interesting place to visit for many local and foreign visitors. Two large decorated parks and the Roman forest in the town center discreetly blend with the town’s architecture, making the town one of the greenest urban areas in Croatia.

For more info: Croatian National Tourist Board

(left and middle) Daruvar’s Coat of Arms; Daruvar, Croatia